STEVE MCCURRY: A RETROSPECTIVE

7 - 24 SEPTEMBER 2011

Chris Beetles Fine Photographs, London's foremost photography gallery, is delighted to announce the a major exhibition of work by Steve McCurry, one of the most influential photographers alive today. Taking inspiration from Henri Cartier-Bresson, McCurry has continued in the same spirit of intrepid and striking photojournalism, making it his own through his singular use of colour.

Steve McCurry was born in 1950, in Philadelphia, USA. He first came into the spotlight in the late 1970s when he dressed himself in native clothing and went into Afghanistan just before the Russian invasion. His resulting images, smuggled out by sewing the film into his clothes, were the first to depict the conflict and were published worldwide. As a result of the quality of the work and the daring of the enterprise, he was awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from abroad requiring exception courage and enterprise, the first of many major awards.

Since this life-changing moment, McCurry has worked ceaselessly, travelling the world to cover the human consequences of war, from Iraq to Cambodia. However, he is not a war photographer his work is broad, encompassing the many facets of the best documentary photography. His enduring interest in people, and his wonder at the beauty of our planet, continues to drive him as a photographer of the human condition.

McCurry's uncanny ability to capture 'the decisive moment' has made him sought after by many international publications. One particular cover for 'National Geographic Magazine' has become perhaps the world's most recognisable photograph his 'Afghan Girl', a portrait of an unidentified refugee taken in 1984. Her haunting beauty with her piercing green eyes and red headscarf transfixed readers worldwide, bringing the plight of her and her fellow refugees to international attention. The image has since graced the covers of countless books, magazines and posters. In 2002, McCurry and a team from National Geographic revisited Afghanistan and identified the girl who had never seen the photograph.

McCurry's archive contains much more than just this one image. He has found inspiration and wonder in many places, plucking exquisite, richly-coloured images out of split-second moments from Tokyo to Havana. However, nowhere has provided him with so much material as South Asia, a place McCurry has visited over 70 times. In particular, our exhibition will feature a large number of his vibrant and enchanting images from the Indian Subcontinent, from the Holi Festival in Rajasthan to the monsoon rains that engulf Calcutta. Also featured will be McCurry's images of Cambodia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Kuwait, Cuba and many other countries that have caught his ceaselessly inquisitive eye.

Our exhibition promises to be one of the most popular and engaging photography exhibitions in London this autumn.